Ballasting means



E. H. VAN VALKENBERG Jan. 12 1926. v

BALLASTING mums Filed April 27. 1925 2 Sheets-Shoot 1 ll/ll I!!!llalllllilllllllllllvt l m Jan. 12 isze. 1,569,162

. E. H. VAN VALKENBERG BALLASTING mums Filed April 27. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet z Gum.

Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

EBER H. VAN VALKENBERG, OF MOhTROE, \VASHING'ION, ASSIGiNOR OF ONE-HALF T OSCAR SILVEBSTEIN, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

BALLASTIN G MEANS.

Application filed April 27, 1925. Serial No. 26,083.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EBER H. VAN VALKEN- mine, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monroe, in Snohomish County and State of Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Baliasting Means, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improve ments in ballasting means especially adapted for use in maintaining the equilibrium or an even keel of dirigible aircraft or the lighter-than-air type of air ships.

The invention contemplates theutilization of water, carried in a tank suspended from the craft, as an agency for this purpose, and the tank is preferably located beneath the gondola or car of the ship. Means are provided whereby the supply of water may be replenished while the aircraft is underway thus avoiding the necessity for stopping the ship for this purpose, and also for eliminating unnecessary landings during the course of a cruise or trip undertaken by the ship. Means are provided for dispensing with a required or predetermined quantity of water from the ballast tank if necessary for lightening the ship during its progress, as for instance in order to more quickly ascend.

For the purpose of accomplishing these ends and otherwise improving the construe-- tion and operation of the ship, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and ar-' ranged in accordance with the best mode I have thus far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View along the'keel line of an air craft showing a portion of the lower part of the gondola or car, and the water-ballast tank with intake and outlet control mechanism for the water-ballast.

Figure 2 is a top plan view showing the intake scoop for the tank, at line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a view showing a portion of the intake scoop and its control device with part of the tank and gondola in vertical sectiom Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view of a gondola showing the water beneath the same and illustrating the manner of suspending the gondola from. the airship part of which is also shown in section.

The portions of the aircraft illustrated in the drawings show a hull with a double Wall as land 2, and beneath the hull extending parallel with the keel line are spaced, longitudinally extending suspending'tracks 3 and 4 upon which the gondola or car 5 is carried and adapted to be moved fore andaft of the ship for maintaining its equilibrium. On the upper deck or roof of'the car are carried two series of two-wheeltrucks 6 provided in suitable number and supported by hangers 7 for the purpose of suspending the car from the ship. In Figure 4 a motive fluid mechanism is indicated at 8 which includes co-acting means on the ship and car located on the keel line of the ship, for relatively moving'the ship and car.

Beneath the gondola or car is carried the ballast-tank 9 which is of suitable capacity con'imensurate with the size of the ship for carrying the water-bzllast, and constructed wlth a hull portion of the ship as 10 torming the top of the tank. The tank extends fore and aft of the gondola,.and as shown in Figure 4 is of the same width as the gondola I or car with its sides equidistant from the also provided along the bottom and top of I the tank to hold rigid the transverse braces and reinforce the tank structure against strains due to movement of the water-ballast.

At the forward end of the tank is provided a transversely extending intake opening 14;, which as shown in Figure l is located at the upper part of the tank. This opening is normally closed by a hinged scoop 15, which is adapted to swing from open full line position to closed dotted line position in Figure 1 to close the intake opening against entry of air currents while the ship is under way, and to form a protecting shield for the tank against any abutment that may be encountered while landing.

At its opposite ends the scoop is provided with perforated ears 16 through which horizontally alined pivot bolts 17 pass, saidbolts After the supply has been secured the wheel (bar wheel-20) within the nutthe scoop may be being fixed in the side walls of the tank as indicated in Figure 2, and the inclined face plate 15 of the scoop is slotted as at 18 to accommodate the scoop as it swings up to dotted position in Figure 1, said slots passing overzthe edges 19 of the tank Walls.

This slotted formation of the scoop in combination with the edges 19 assists in guiding the scoop in its movements and retains the scoop against :lateral strains or movements, when the scoop is in normal dotted position of Figure 1.

The scoop is lowered by means manipulated or controlled fromthe interior of the car as indicated in Figure 1, and a screw.

'bar'20 is used for lowering or raising the scoop on the hinges 17. This screw bar passes through the bottom of the gondola or car and through a -sl'ot 20 in the inclined plate'15iof the scoop, and at its lower end the screw bar is pivoted on a transversely extending bar 21 supported in the scoop, the connectionzbetween thebar 20 and 21 being made by an eye or hub 22 on the screw bar.

Within the gondola a non-traveling nut 23 is provided for the screw bar and supported in brackets-24 in such manner that the nut may oscillate to compensate for the-relative movement between the screw bar and the scoop when the latter is being operated. It will be apparent that by turning the screw (through the instrumentality of its lowered to full line position in Figure 1. While in this position the airship may descend to a lake, river or other body of water, skim over the surface with the scoop in positionto gather a supply of water that is transferred to the tank, and then ascend, without material interruption to its travel.

20' is turned to close the scoop against the intake openingof the tank.

For dispensing with a quantity of waterballast from the tank I utilize an outlet port or ports 25 at the rear of tank 9, said port orrportsextendingtransversely of the rear wall and near the 'bottomofthe tank.

The outlet of water through this port is controllediby a vertically arranged slide gate or valve plate 26, which ismovable in flanged guide plates 27 attached at the-inner side of the rear wall of the tank. A screw bar or valve stem 28 is connected to, the gate valve,

bymeans of a head 29=that permits .rotation of the screw bar, and the bar as shown in Figure 1 passes up through an opening in the floor or deck of the gondola. On "the threaded end of the screw bar, is a nontraveling nut 80 supported in. brackets 31 secured tothe floor of the car, and the hand wheel 32 isemployed to turn the bar to lift the gate valve to open position or to depress the valve to closed position indicated in Figure 1. It will be'apparentthat by opening the valvethe water may escape through the port 25 to releasethe ballast and lighten the ship as required.

Beneaththe gondola or car I have indicated supporting wheels 33 journaled in wheel frames 34 secured to the bottom of the tank, upon which the ship may travel in landing and launching, to protect the tank.

Having thus fully described-my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent istank having an intake port, of a scoop hinged to said tank and normally adapted to close the port, a screw Ibarlconnected to the scapp, and a non-traveling nut for said ar. 4. In an airship the combination with a water ballast-tank carried thereby-and provided with an intake port, of 'ba'flle means within said tankfor the bulk of water, an

adjustable-scoop adapted to normally close said port, and means for adjusting said scoop whereby water maybe supplied tothe tank vas described.

5. The combination with a water-ballast tank having an intake port and free edges at its sides, of a slotted scoop hinged to said tank, a screw bar co'nnectedtothe scoop, and

a non-traveling nut for said bar.

In testimony whereof I afiixmy signature.

I nenn .HQVAN VALKENBERG. 

